Oklahoma hospital reopens ED 1 year after tornado

Marietta, Okla.-based Mercy Health Love County Hospital opened a temporary emergency department a year after being hit by a tornado.

The modular building is staffed 24 hours a day for walk-in and ambulance emergencies, according to a Sept. 2 hospital news release. The ED opened at 7 a.m Sept. 2 and accepted a steady flow of patients that first day. It was also the first day that many staff had returned to work after the tornado.

On April 27, 2024, tornadoes hit communities in Oklahoma. The storms killed four people and injured at least 100 more. Mercy Health Love County was hit by one of the tornadoes and transferred 10 patients to other hospitals after the storms. The hospital and its clinic closed due to damage. In June, the clinic reopened for normal operations.

Although the temporary ED has opened, the hospital still lacks inpatient care. Hospital leaders expect FEMA authorities to give the go-ahead on hospital construction soon, and they anticipate the federal government will pay a large portion of costs for the repairs or replacement of the building, the release said. 

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